Zelensky shows CoE Secretary General ‘real concentration camp’ in Chernihiv region

“During a working trip to Chernihiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić who is visiting our country for the second time since the beginning of the full-scale aggression,” the press service of the Head of State informs.

As noted, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Head of State visited the village of Yahidne, where they saw the infrastructure and residential buildings destroyed by Russian troops, as well as the school where the occupiers held the locals.

"On the example of this school, you saw a real concentration camp and the terrible consequences that the Russian aggression has brought to Ukrainians - from babies to the elderly," Zelensky emphasized.

The parties discussed the efforts on the international legal front to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

They also paid attention to the measures taken to create a register of damages caused by the Russian aggression and a full-fledged compensation mechanism, in particular in the context of preparations for the Summits of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik.

Zelensky called on the Council of Europe to make all possible efforts to stop Russia's illegal deportation of Ukrainian citizens from temporarily occupied areas and areas of hostilities, and together with other international partners to ensure the return of illegally deported Ukrainians, primarily children.

The President commended the recent adoption of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine for 2023-2026 "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" and expressed hope for its successful implementation.